Austrian firm named to develop 16 Macedonia small hydros

Austrian company Energie Zotter Bau signed contracts July 16, 2009, to build 16 small hydropower plants in Macedonia.

Macedonia Vice President Vladimir Pesevski participated in the signing of agreements with Energie Zotter Bau, marking Macedonia's first award of small hydro concessions stemming from three public solicitations that began in 2007.

Officials said the 16 projects represent a total investment of 15 million euros (US$21 million). Upon completion by June 2012, the 16 hydro plants are to have total installed capacity of 6.62 MW and estimated annual generation of 26.48 gigawatt-hours.

Energie Zotter Bau won concessions to develop three of the small projects from Macedonia's first auction of 60 projects in February 2007. (HydroWorld 2/16/07) Those projects are 220-kW Location 75, Ljubanska River; 1.158-MW Location 179, Toranica; and 607-kW Location 138, Malinska River.

The ministry said it expects to sign concession agreements with another eight successful bidders from the first two solicitations. It added that a fourth concession auction is planned offering between 30 and 40 small projects.

The government also took pre-qualification applications in June for concessions to develop 12 larger hydropower projects on the Vardar River totaling 308.24 MW. (HydroWorld 3/16/09)